Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-02-27
CAPTURED HIS VALISE.
How Colonel Fitzhugh Lee, Now Governor
of Virginia, Appropriated a Yankee Of
6cer,s Billed shirts and Bottle of Hen
neSSPN.

Rcer's Billed shirts and Bottle of Hen
nessey.
81. Louis Globe Democrat.
In 1864 Fitshugh Lee, now Governor OF
Virginia, was commanding the Conteder-
ate outpost in Fairfax county as Colonel OF
cavalry. Colonel Tannant, who was an in-
innate friend and classmate OF Lees at
West Point, was in command OF the Union
cavalry outpost e Alexandra. One day
Tannant received orders to advance and
feel the Confederate position in front. A
battalion of men, made up from the de-
partments and the City of Washington,
called the Presidents Body Guard, was
assigned him to make the advance. lie
said to q friend before leaving: II want
soldiers with me on this expedition. |
know Fitz Lee. l have slept with him, and
whenever we come together somebody will
have to do some fighting or fast running.
| know Fitz will fight. If ! had soldiers,
and not these dress parade fellows would
be delighted to give my friends a brush,
lust TO let him see how nicely we can whip
him back into the Union
In the meantime his wife had packed
his valise with clean linen and a bottle OF
old Hennessey brandy. When everything
was ready Colonel Taunant took up the
line of march, along the Fairfax and Alex
andria turnpike, in the direction Of Fair
fax Court house. After the command had
advanced a few miles and had come to a
halt to rest, the Colonel addressed his men
in the following words:
Attention! battalion: | am now speak
lug to you as soldiers who have enlisted to
defend your country, and not as fellow
citizens. | want every man to do his duty
in the time of battle as n soldier should.
If there are any of you who are not will
ing to do this, epthree PAGES to the front. y
Not a man moved. They stood like a
wall of granite. This gave the Colonel
much encouragement.
"Now, my soldiers" said he, with this
determination OIL your part, we VIII con
tinue our advance and drive the enemy
back, or capture the entire force
Within q few miles of the court house
they encountered the Confederate pickets,
and succeeded in driving them back. This
gave the command new courage. On they
pushed hut alas! Soon Turner Ashby,
with his Black-hOrSe Cavalry, came charg-
ing on their flank, while Fitz Lee pressed
them in front. The engagement began to
get interesting, when suddenly Pelham's
Horse Artillery unlimbered on the lett
flank and began TO pour a CALLING fire into
Tannant's ranks. He rode to the front,
leading the charge against Fitz Lee on the
other side. The men seeing the situation,
became demoralizcd and treated in cOnfu-
sion, falling back to Alexandria. The Union
force lost a few killed and some prisoners,
Colonel Tannant's headquarters ambulance
was captured, with his ratiOns and bag
gage.
A few days after the fight n dilapidated
team drove up to his headquarters with
the letters &C. S. A." branded on the Skel-
ton mules, and in dim white letters on the
side of thh topleSs ambulance also appear
ed &C. s. A." and the driver, instead OF
wearing the blue, had on a suit of gray.
>The driver entered Colonel Tannants tent
with 4 military salute, bearing in his hand
the COlonel's valiSe!
"Where did You come frOm?' demanded
the Colonel.
Il came from Colonel Fitz Lees head
quarters" was the reply. "He snapped
teams and clothes with me, and told me
could come back and bring your valise, and
here it is, Colonel"
"All right my man." said the Colonel.
$50 to your quarters and change your uni
form, and report for duty
Colonel Tannant took the valise over to
his wife's room and opened it. The con-
tents of the valisc were n note, which ran
in the f0lloging words:
OUTPOST CONFEDERATE ARMY, NlRGlNlA.-Ny
Dear Tint. | have opened yeur valiSe, appro-
priated your billed shirts for a change, and also
your bottle of old HennesSey for a bad cold, |
traded your aInbulances and teams also. When
YOU come ont again bring more commiSsary and
InsrtermaSterS stores. FITZ.
Colonel Tannant kept the note until the
close of the war, telling no one about 1t
but his faithful and loving wife. Tannant
has been living in Tennessee since the war.
Recently he and Lee met, and the bottle OF
HennesSey was well discussed.